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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · rule · pitcher · hand · track · stock · coach · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rule — government
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hand — help
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rule — a law
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. track — a path
  13. stock — shares
  14. track — to keep track
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a song
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hand — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — goods
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com